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New Lexus CT Tipped to Arrive in 2020 With Hybrid And Electric Propulsion

If you thought that the UX looks great (pictured), Lexus agrees with you. But on the other hand, the small crossover doesn’t act as a replacement for the CT hybrid hatchback.
Lexus UX 26 photos
Photo: Guido Ten Brink/SB-Medien
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Pascal Ruch, who’s in charge of Lexus in Europe, explains: “People buy the CT for efficiency; with the UX, we’re looking for a different customer.” The official then posed a question, which Ruch then answered himself: “Will we replace the CT? Let’s say so.”

According to Auto Express, the second-generation CT will go official in 2020 with hybrid propulsion. The motoring publication also makes a case for “a pure-electric Tesla Model 3 rival,” which would be a radical departure for Lexus and Toyota too.

Sharing the Toyota New Global Architecture with the all-new Auris (also known as Corolla Hatchback), the 2020 Lexus CT could be indeed compatible with an electric drivetrain. Back in December 2017, the Japanese automaker said that it “will make available more than 10 battery-electric models worldwide by the early 2020s.”

The end game? “Every model in the Toyota and Lexus lineup around the world will be available as either a dedicated electrified model or have an electrified option.” In addition to BEVs, fuel-cell technology is another area that will see development.

On the one hand, Volkswagen has a dedicated platform for electric vehicles (MEB), as does General Motors (BEV II). Toyota does not, and you can see this from the Mirai. Unveiled in 2014, the Mirai is based on the MC platform of the CT 200h, and it’s a bit of a compromise if you consider that the Ni-Mh battery comes from the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the electric motor from the Lexus RX 450h.

On the other hand, Toyota decided to join forces with Mazda and Denso in late 2017 to create a joint venture specialized in the development of electric vehicles. The company birthed from this collaboration - EV Common Architecture Spirit Co., Ltd. – will combine the strengths of each manufacturer: “Mazda's bundled product planning and prowess in computer modeling-based development, Denso’s electronics technologies, and the Toyota New Global Architecture platform.”
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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